@rudysmom I can completely relate to how you feel about your new diagnosis - it was really hard for me, too, to realize that my body wouldn't be able to continue doing the things I loved: golfing, skiing, etc. After being unaware that I had hyperparathyroidism for probably 5 or 10 years before a doctor actually looked at my blood test results, my spine was at -3.8. My endocrinologist called it "scary." A year after having three of the parathyroids removed (along with my entire thyroid, when they discovered it was cancerous), my spine was at -3.4. After fighting the idea of taking drugs to resolve it, I gave in and took oral alendronate, which I didn't tolerate. A year or two later, I gave in to the recommendation for Evenity. A full year of monthly infusions later, my spine was at -2.6. I couldn't have been happier! Yes, still in the osteoporosis range, but maybe not quite as scary anymore. Ironically, a month after I finished the treatment, I stubbed my fourth toe on the end of the bed and suffered a spiral fracture - the first fracture of my entire life at the age of 67! Jeesh!
I would strongly encourage you to get the book Great Bones by R. Keith McCormick. One of the most important takeaways from the book (for me) is that just because we have osteoporosis doesn't mean we don't have strong bones, per se. Exercise, eating lots of nuts and seeds, getting out into the sunshine as much as you can, and paying attention to our bone health can go a long way to keeping your bones strong. If you aren't already taking Vitamin K2, Vitamins C and D, and a safe level of calcium, I would encourage you to start. Also consider adding canned fish (with the bones) to your diet. I prefer Trader Joe's unsalted sardines prepared with lemon juice, olive oil and celery on crackers - delicious, as canned fish goes... lol!
Don't let yourself stay stuck in grief. Choose to be proactive, learn as much as you can about the disease, and then take good care of yourself and your bones. Good luck!
@wilkenl
I take a multivitamin with vitamin c, d and calcium in it. I get 1200 mg of calcium through my diet daily and the supplement gives me an extra 200. I also take another 1,000 of vitamin D with my smoothie in the morning. I asked both Dr’s I’ve seen about vitamin K and both of them told me no. One of them scoffed at me and then suggested if I had money to waste to donate to his research and proceeded to show me his webpage. That was a hard pass. The Dr I’m seeing now just said there was no reason to take it. But a lot of people on here do. It’s one of those things I need to look into. Right now I’m trying to just get a routine of diet and exercise.
I try to eat fish or salmon weekly but sometimes it’s every other week. I never liked fish but am liking the whitefish and salmon. Growing up my dad would go smelt dipping and I have memories of cleaning those little buggers and the canned fish just gives me flashbacks. LOL